Public Statements

Governor Walker Statement on Actual Jobs Data for 2011

Statement

Today the Department of Workforce Development released actual 2011 job count data based on responses from approximately 160,000 Wisconsin employers. DWD has submitted the data to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The new jobs data is drawn from more than 96% of all Wisconsin businesses counting each and every employee they have and reporting it to DWD. The jobs estimates that are reported each month represent a survey of approximately 3.5% of WI employers, which is subject to considerable revision and is much less accurate and more volatile than the actual job count released today.

In reaction to the actual job count data, Governor Walker released the following statement:

The actual data clearly shows that Wisconsin gained thousands of jobs in 2011. Contrast this to the more than 100,000 jobs lost in the three years before I took office when unemployment peaked above 9%. Now, the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since 2008.

While there has been mixed information regarding previously reported estimates, the actual data released today shows Wisconsin experienced job growth in 2011. Today's data aligns with other signs that our economy is improving such as falling unemployment, increased tax revenues, and household employment surveys which have consistently shown more Wisconsinites are working.

It's clear that from actually counting jobs for more than 96% of Wisconsin businesses we are headed in the right direction.

The actual job count data can be accessed at: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/newsreleases/2012/120516_dwd_quarterly_data.pdf.